Tutorial Six - The Internet and online communities

Tutorial six

The Internet and online communities

For this blog I am going to explore the Internet and provide a overview of three online communities that are intended for people that have a TBI or have a loved one experiencing a TBI.  These communities are generally were people can find information, ask questions and find support for what they are experiencing.  These sights are not necessarily just for a individual that has a TBI but for their family and loved ones to share stories to other families or individuals experiencing a TBI.

The first online community that I would like to explore is brain song http://brainsong.site-ym.com/, which is a non-profit organisation for females that have experienced a TBI.  This community comes complete with a mission statement.  People that wish to join this community are required to sign up with a password and username.  This site offers resources and information only for members however you cannot access any medical advise, diagnosis or treatment.  You cannot access any information or resources unless you are a member of brain song.  This community is a worldwide site, which has an origin of USA so I imagine that many of the users are from USA.  This site has built in security, which means the site is being monitored and abuse is unlikely to occur.

The second online community that I would like to explore is brain injury New Zealand http://www.brain-injury.org.nz/resources.html.  This site provides information and resources about brain injury.  This is not a forum type website but is relevant as it has links to many web pages, books and dvd’s were individuals are able to further their understanding of brain injury.  This website provides information about education and courses that people who sustain a brain injury can attend.  Brian injury New Zealand provides contact detail for individuals to ring and ask any further questions.  The only downfall is that people cannot contribute information to this site however that is what makes it a very security friendly site, which is not likely to abuse.

The last online community that I am going to explore is daily strength http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Brain-Injury/support-group.  This is a community where people can post about their experiences with TBI and how is affecting them or their family.  Same again with this webpage you don’t only need to be a sufferer but you can be a family member or loved one that is confused or hurt about what your loved one is experiencing.  Daily strength is open to anyone which means that there is a lack of security and that the page is open to some level of abuse, however in order to post on this site you are needed to sign up and provide and password and username.  Daily strength connects individuals from all over the world and allows individuals to post anonymously and receive feedback and support from other members of the site.

Two out of the three sites that I have recognized allows posters/members to contribute and ask questions online.  I feel that there is a increase in these sorts of webpages as they are anonymous.  These sites are important, as some individuals may be scared to face a health professional or family but knowing that there are online communities that these individuals can turn to and confide in other individuals.  There are two ways of information sharing on these sites.  Information can be shared by using one-way information, which may be medical information that is posted that cannot be commented on or discussed about.  The second form of information is two-way information, which is posted and discussed about between people were they can express there feeling and experiences then gain feedback from others.